Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that the peace documents presented by Moscow and Kyiv are “completely opposite,” but emphasized that negotiations are still ongoing with the aim of finding a compromise.
Speaking to journalists following his official visit to Belarus, Putin stated that although the disagreements are deep, the dialogue process has not ceased.
“As expected, these are two absolutely opposing memorandums, but the negotiations are being organized and conducted with the aim of finding ways to narrow the gap. The fact that they are directly contradictory is not surprising,” he said.
He also referred to previous agreements between the sides, including plans for another round of talks after a prisoner exchange.
“In general, we are ready for this. We just need to agree on the place and time. I hope that the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Erdoğan, maintains his supportive position toward this process. We are very grateful to him for that,” Putin added.
The Russian President confirmed that Russia is willing to hold the next round of talks in Turkey, specifically in Istanbul, and noted that contacts between the delegations are ongoing.
“We are ready to hold such a meeting in Istanbul. As for the exact timing, the heads of the negotiating groups from both sides are in constant operational contact with each other — they’re speaking regularly. In my view, we are not in a bad position currently. They are coordinating among themselves on the time for the next meeting,” he concluded.
